


Dreaming of a White Christmas

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, loosely inspired by white christmas, vacationing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28229262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: For the Good Omens Secret SantaIt's been a while since the apocalypse. In a burst of spontaneity, Crowley and Aziraphale decide to spend their Christmas in Vermont, visiting a ski lodge. While they're there, they assess their feelings for each other, and Aziraphale wonders if they are indeed more than friends.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Dreaming of a White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Depressedstressedlemonzest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depressedstressedlemonzest/gifts).



> Happy holidays! This is my gift for depressedstressedlemonzest, for the good omens secret santa! I apologize for going, uh, a little overboard on the length, but I hope you enjoy it! I had such fun writing it.

Time had passed since the apocalypse. Precious, free, unwatched, unmonitored time. Neither Heaven nor Hell seemed to care much about the goings-on of a certain angel and demon duo, and Aziraphale was all the happier for that. He could spend his days in peace, drinking tea and reading old books and having fireside chats with Crowley. 

Their relationship had changed little in their now-free time. Yes, they saw each other quite a bit more, and it was certainly reassuring not having the fear of their higher-ups looming over them, but they were still the same old Aziraphale and Crowley. Aziraphale, soft and warm like a reliable old couch, and Crowley, all wiry excitement. Just how Aziraphale liked it. 

It was winter now, and Aziraphale would have been content continuing their lifestyle just as they had been. But Crowley, with his never-ending surprises, decided he wanted to go on a vacation. And after much pestering (really, not much at all, but Aziraphale didn’t want to seem like a pushover), he had convinced Aziraphale to go with him. It was to be a trip to Vermont in the United States, to a little ski resort with a cozy little lodge and gorgeous views. The choice of location was a bit surprising given Crowley’s hatred of the cold, but Aziraphale had a hunch it had something to do with the fact they had recently watched White Christmas, and it had gone to the demon’s head. 

Aziraphale was excited to spend time with Crowley away somewhere. The idea was so very domestic, it made his heart flutter every time he thought about it. His heart had been doing that quite a lot lately. He tried not to think too hard about it. 

They were really going all-out with the vacation aspect of it, too. This wasn’t just a miracle-yourself-there kind of trip, Crowley had actually booked plane tickets and a train ride to get there. And indeed, the train ride had made things begin to feel even more like they were living through White Christmas. 

Fortunately, unlike the movie, there was already a healthy heaping of snow on the ground when they arrived. The resort had its own train station, so they didn’t need to worry about a rental car, and instead headed directly into the lodge. 

“Oh, my.” Aziraphale muttered as they stepped inside. The interior was huge, made of gorgeous pine wood and polished to a shine. A floor-to-ceiling window at the back looked down the mountain, and you could watch skiers heading down the slopes from one of the overstuffed leather chairs and couches. A massive Christmas tree stood in the center of the room, decorated to the nines, ornaments glimmering up its green boughs. “It’s lovelier than I expected.” 

Crowley grinned, utterly pleased with himself. “What, thought I’d book us at a crappy motel? You know me by now, Angel, I don’t cheap out.” 

He did sometimes, on coffee and alcohol, but Aziraphale wasn’t going to bring that up. “And you know that I don’t know how to ski.”

“I didn’t book this for the skiing, I booked it for the atmosphere. You can’t say you’ve never wanted to see a white Christmas at least once.” He wasn’t even being subtle about it anymore. “Besides, you need to get out more.”

Aziraphale scoffed. “I get out a perfectly reasonable amount! You’re the one who couldn’t call for an entire weekend because you were watching, oh, what was it, the Glimmer Girls?”

“The Golden Girls are important.”

“More important than answering your phone?”

“Ngh, well… you know.” Crowley was running out of excuses. “Fine, think of this as an apology or something to make up for it.” He checked the time on his incomprehensible, modern sleek watch. “Right, I’ve got to check in. You don’t have to come with, it ought to be quite boring.”

Regardless, Aziraphale followed him to the check-in desk. It was carved out of the same wood the rest of the lodge seemed to be carved of, and a dramatic carving of a wolf protruded from it, which was contradicted by the glittery red tinsel lining the top of the desk. Crowley obtained two room keys from the young woman manning the desk, who seemed not quite happy to be there, and who also seemed to assume the two of them were a couple. 

Were they a couple? They spent a great deal of time together. Crowley was certainly Aziraphale’s best friend, someone he’d be happy to spend the rest of his existence with. Aziraphale had grown used to Crowley’s presence in his life. He knew all of the demon’s little quirks and likes and dislikes and missed him when he was gone and treasured each and every one of their phone calls and lunches. Perhaps there really was something more there, something that had been growing so slowly and deliberately over the millenia he hadn’t even noticed it. 

Now Aziraphale was dithering. He dithered the whole ride up the elevator, and dithered on the way to the hotel room. And it was only made worse by the revelation that the wrong room had been booked. Instead of two queen beds, there was a singular king bed. More than enough for the two of them, but they had never slept in the same bed before. On the same couch a few times, and on the floor once, but never in a bed. There was something much more intimate about a bed, even if it were bigger than the couch. 

“Damn. I can call down and get us a new one, if you’d like.” Crowley said, not making eye contact with Aziraphale. 

Before he knew what he was even saying, Aziraphale replied with, “I don’t mind.” Oh, that was much too fast. He needed an excuse to cover his tracks. “It would be a hassle to get a new one, and we’re already here, and I should hate to inconvenience the staff, who I’m sure are already tired and overworked.” 

Crowley nodded. “Right. Yeah. Well, settle in.”

The whole “settling in” thing didn’t take long, since Aziraphale could just miracle all his clothes into the drawers and closets. It was late in the day given their long travel times, so the sun had long set by the time Aziraphale was finished. Crowley, who was remarkably even faster, was sitting on the bed with his legs against the headboard, flipping through the menu of the resort’s higher-end restaurant. 

“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, can you believe it.” He muttered nonchalantly. “Wanna grab something? I think they’ve got stuff you’ll like.” 

“Certainly. I imagine if I were human, I would be rather hungry after the day’s travels.” 

“Well, we can’t have that.” Hopping out of bed, Crowley held out his arm for Aziraphale to take. “They seem to have a reasonable wine list, so I shall be partaking in that.”

The restaurant looked like the rest of the lodge, albeit a little fancier. The lights were toned down, the chandeliers a little more expensive-looking, and the sounds of screaming children were kept to a minimum. Fortunately, most of the people with loud kids kept to the resort’s family restaurant. The ones populating this one tended to be parents who had managed to shirk their kids for an evening or couples. 

Again, it got Aziraphale wondering. Were they a couple? They were eating together in a restaurant almost entirely filled with couples, just the two of them, seated in the same round booth. 

“Crowley,” Aziraphale began, over a rather average lamb roast, “I’ve been thinking, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but are we a couple?”

Crowley’s face blazed red, and Aziraphale could see his pupils widen under his sunglasses. “Wh- I- What makes you say that?” Crowley’s voice cracked. 

“Only, everyone we meet seems to assume that we are one, and most everyone in this restaurant seems to be a couple. And we have known each other for quite some time. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to believe that we were.”

“Well, yes, that could be, ah, construed. But Angel, most couples are romantically intertwined.” Crowley waved his hands together to emphasize the intertwining. “And last time I checked, we were not.”

Aziraphale’s heart sank. This wasn’t going as well as he had expected. “Never mind, then. Forget that I asked.”

He had a feeling Crowley wasn’t going to forget. 

That feeling lingered as they returned to their room, a healthy distance between them. Aziraphale wanted to reach out, wanted Crowley to put an arm around him and to rest his head on Crowley’s shoulder, but he knew the demon wouldn’t react well to that right now. It only made it worse that they now had to share a bed, the tension palpable in the space between them. 

After a few hours, Aziraphale still couldn’t sleep. He thought Crowley had already fallen asleep, but heard the demon whisper, “I’m sorry, Angel. Didn’t mean to mess things up like that.”

“I forgive you.”

He heard Crowley shift. Evidently, Crowley had assumed Aziraphale would be asleep for his nighttime apology. “So I haven’t ruined the trip yet. I’ve still got plenty of time.”

Aziraphale smiled. He knew Crowley wouldn’t actually ruin anything. “Good night, my dear.”

“Good night, Angel.”

\----------

Crowley awoke with a grumble. If he’d had it his way, he’d like to sleep for the next few months, until winter was but a memory and spring was well in place. But he couldn’t do that now, not with how Aziraphale would miss him. And he figured this vacation would help take his mind off of the biting cold. Really, he should’ve moved somewhere warmer years ago, but he didn’t want to leave the angel alone in London, and truth be told the place had grown on him. 

Speaking of warmth, Crowley noticed the heat radiating from Aziraphale. Whether it was a conscious effort on Aziraphale’s part or just his natural body heat Crowley didn’t know, but it was making things much closer to his preferred level of warmth. 

He also realized, nearly with a start, that he was wrapped around Aziraphale. At some point during the night, asleep-Crowley must’ve sensed the heat radiating from Aziraphale and just latched his spindly legs onto him. The angel was just so soft and warm, like a heated marshmallow, and as much as the back of his mind were screaming to let go, Crowley couldn’t make himself. Instead, he buried his face into Aziraphale’s back, basking in his warmth. 

Man, did Crowley love Aziraphale. He loved him every minute of every day, would love him for as long as the sun shone upon the planet and even after that. And that was why he hadn’t told him. He couldn’t risk ruining the only truly meaningful relationship he had ever had. Crowley was mostly content, being able to spend time with him, being able to treat him to lunches and dinners and trips. That didn’t mean there weren’t countless times he wanted to break down those boundaries and kiss him. 

One of those times had been the night before. That damned question. “Are we a couple?” Crowley certainly wanted to be one. He wished to… well, maybe not God, but to somebody that he wasn't such a coward. But fear once again won over, making Crowley say something stupid and nearly ruining it anyway. 

Aziraphale stirred, and Crowley tried to move away, but was stopped by Aziraphale’s hand over his. Those lovely fingers, which he had spent many a night watching as Aziraphale poured over a book too intently to notice Crowley’s stares. 

“Mmm, what time is it?” A groggy Aziraphale asked. 

“Time is a human construct. Also my watch is across the room.”

“Any exciting plans for the day?”

“Well, since you don’t really strike me as the skiing type, no offense-”

“None taken.”

“I thought you may prefer something along the lines of ice skating. Or maybe check out the rest that the resort has to offer. Something like that.”

“That sounds lovely. I’m glad I packed my warm coat.”

Crowley wasn’t particularly looking forward to the cold, but if it gave him an excuse to sit closer to the angel, he’d weather it. And the resort’s outdoor ice rink seemed pretty fancy all things considered. 

A few hours later, after a long breakfast, they headed down to the ice rink. Crowley had never ice skated before in his life, but he had roller bladed extensively during the 70’s, so ice skating didn’t seem all that far off. It wasn’t a skill that seemed all too hard to pick up. Or at least it wasn’t for most people. 

Aziraphale, however, was not as gifted in the ice skating department. He remained plastered to the wall at the edge of the rink. 

“Oh, come on, you can do it!” Crowley said, as he skated backwards in a circle. The roller blading was really paying off. “Just push off with your back foot. It’s just like walking!”

“Yes, but with large blades strapped to your feet. Really, how did the humans come up with such a thing?”

“Transportation, I think. Easier to skate across a lake than walk around it.”

“I’ll take the walking, thank you.”

Crowley skated back to Aziraphale, holding out a hand. “Come on. I promise I won’t let you fall.” 

Aziraphale looked skeptical, but took Crowley’s hand anyway with an iron grip. “If I do fall, I’ll… I’ll be very disappointed.” 

In a spontaneous move that surprised every muscle in his body, Crowley ran a reassuring thumb across the back of Aziraphale’s hand. “Don’t worry, Angel.”

Hesitantly, Aziraphale pushed forward ever so slightly, taking his other hand off of the wall. Crowley led the way, giving Aziraphale a little more momentum to move forward with each nervous push of his feet. They went a few meters before Aziraphale finally tore his eyes from the ice and looked up at Crowley. “Am I doing it right?”

“You’re doing great.” Crowley didn’t want to mention the fact that he had been doing all the work for the both of them. “Let’s try it a little faster now.”

“Oh, dear me.” 

Crowley grinned as he faced the angel, skating backwards and pulling Aziraphale with him. It was a normal, steady pace, but that didn’t stop Aziraphale from worrying. And it also didn’t stop Aziraphale from nearly tripping over his own two feet. Luckily, Crowley swept in to catch him in his arms, steadying him. “Stop worrying so much, I’ve got you.” 

Aziraphale gazed at Crowley, his eyes as soft as a doe’s. “Yes, it seems like you do.”

It was another one of those wretched moments again, where Crowley desperately wanted to kiss Aziraphale. The space between them seemed to shrink by the second, until Crowley could feel Aziraphale’s warmth radiating, could nearly taste Aziraphale’s breath mixing with his. Was this finally the moment? Years of pining, culminating in one swift motion. 

Crowley realized in that moment that they were still sliding along the ice. He also realized a moment too late that they were very close to the shorter walls of the small bullpen used for hockey. His legs hit the walls, his knees went backwards, and Crowley was falling again. Not out of heaven, but out of Aziraphale’s arms onto the cold hard rubber of the bullpen. 

\------------

They didn’t talk about it. For days, they didn’t talk about it, and it was making Aziraphale antsy. He just wanted to know if he had been reading the moment right, if what he thought had been about to happen was really and truly about to happen. But Crowley had clammed up after that. Whether it was out of embarrassment or something else, Aziraphale didn’t know, but it was burning him up from the inside. 

It was obvious to him now that what he felt towards Crowley was more than just a deep friendship. He realized that he had loved him for a while now, but never put two and two together because really, he hadn’t needed to. Their relationship was already delightful, so the addition of love into the mix wasn’t all that big of a leap. 

The problem now, of course, was figuring out if Crowley felt the same way. He had a hunch, but needed to confirm it, which was currently proving difficult as Crowley was now deflecting all personal conversations with sarcasm and a quick joke. Which of course made Aziraphale more nervous than he needed to be. 

Now it was Christmas Eve. A big night for the humans, and one that Aziraphale and Crowley had spent together for a number of years now. They usually took to heart the phrase “eat, drink, and be merry,” and spent the night drinking fine wines and eating whatever fancy holiday-themed desserts they could find. It was great fun. 

Aziraphale sat in the lobby of the lodge, a mug of cocoa in his hands. The sun had already set, and the lights in the lodge were low, since tonight there would be a rare occurrence gracing the sky: the Northern Lights. Aziraphale made sure to stake out a good seat, since many of the humans were already congregating for the show. Crowley rolled up a few minutes later, bottle of wine in hand, sitting down heavily on the overstuffed leather couch. 

“There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you’d even show.”

Hurt crossed Crowley’s face. “I just needed to get the wine. Did you really think I’d abandon you on Christmas Eve?”

Aziraphale shook his head. “No. Of course not, dear boy.” 

Uncorking the wine, Crowley took a sip directly from the bottle. He still looked rather uncharacteristically sad. “I’ve messed things up, haven’t I?”

“How do you mean?”

“When we went ice skating. I made a fool of myself.”

“Anyone could’ve fallen over that wall, it was much too low. I didn’t think you were a fool, I was more concerned than anything that you had hurt yourself.”

Crowley stared straight ahead, avoiding the angel’s gaze. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

Oh. He meant that moment of tension. The one where Aziraphale could’ve sworn Crowley was leaning in to kiss him. “Is that why you’ve barely been able to look me in the eye the whole week?”

Crowley didn’t answer. He just kept on not looking Aziraphale in the eye. 

“I think you’re quite overreacting. And I still don’t think you’re a fool. About other things, maybe, but not about that. I… I get it now. If anything, I’ve been the fool throughout all this, not picking up on the obvious.”

Crowley still didn’t look. 

“Crowley.” Aziraphale tried to keep his voice steady. He put his mug of cocoa down, and instead took Crowley’s face in his hands. “Look at me.”

Finally, Crowley’s eyes met his. Fear laced his expression, but there was fondness behind it too. 

It seemed like as good a time as any to remember the strategically placed mistletoe directly above their seat. Not that Aziraphale had put it there or anything. “You know, I believe there’s a human tradition where two people beneath the mistletoe must kiss.”

Crowley glanced up at the sprig of plant. “That’s holly. A lot of people confuse the two.” 

“Oh, for the love of-” 

Aziraphale was cut off by Crowley kissing him. It was a light peck, but it still sent Aziraphale’s heart racing. “Holly still gets the job done, I think.”

“I don’t think that kiss was enough to count. I think it needs to be a little longer than that.”

“Really? According to who?”

“Whom, my dear. And according to me.”

A mischievous grin crossed Crowley’s face. “Well, can’t very well break the rules, can we?”

Because they were always so good at following the rules. Nevertheless, Aziraphale decided to follow the rules he had set for them, pulling Crowley in for a longer kiss. It felt so natural, Crowley’s lips melting against his. Like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, slotting together perfectly. It was incredible. 

Outside, the Northern Lights lit up the sky. But Aziraphale didn’t notice. All he was focused on was his dear, darling Crowley, and how utterly and absolutely happy he felt.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know ice skating has been around for thousands of years, and that originally ice skates were made of bone?


End file.
